Cinderella Man

Russell Crowe beats people up- how novel. (Don't tell me you didn't see THAT coming...)

Actually, this movie was really very good. From what I understand, this movie has been a long time in the making. During filming of A Beautiful Mind, there was talk about doing a movie about James J Braddock, the man who lost everything and still remained positive and ended up victorious. Crowe took a year off to be with his wife, and they went through a few directors before getting Ron Howard. Penny Marshall is one of the producers.

Crowe does a wonderful job portraying Braddock, and you really get a feel for the way things were during the depression. The way he interacts with his children is priceless, and you really get a feeling that his family is his whole world. When Crowe would stand in line to get work, the way so many people did in those days, the viewer stands in line with him, thinking "pick him!! pick him!!" It makes you realize how much we all take for granted. And the true metaphor of the story- a man who has to literally fight to keep his family together- makes it sweet and touching.

A few points:
Craig Bierko, from the 13th Floor and Sex and the City (The jazz man with ADD), plays the heavyweight champ. He and Clive Owen look so similar, but there were times when I didn't think it was either one of them. The 'fro he had changed his whole appearance, and he really showed a lot of rage in his facial expressions during the appropriate times. He did a great job.

The children rivaled the boys in Finding Neverland with their simple charm and undying love portrayed simply, yet succinctly. Absolute treasures.

Paul Giamatti, of course, steals the show with his surprising sacrifice that he makes for the family and by putting his name on the line to get Braddock back in the ring after he has shown himself to be destitute. We have all seen the nice guy sports agent Jerry Maguire; Paul's character could have been his grandfather. They have the same blood pumping through their veins.

And speaking of Jerry Maguire.... Ahhh... Renee. A beautiful, touching performance of a woman who shows the true meaning of love and loyalty. She stands by James in good times and bad, through destitution and riches, and you truly feel that she was meant to be with this man. We can all only aspire to be the kind of wife and mother that Renee portrays. She was beautiful and incredible, her acting superior to MANY roles that she has had in the past, and there were a few times when I ALMOST believed the Jersey accent.

In fact, if I have one bad thing to say about this movie, it would be the fact that a few times it seemed like the dialect coach had taken a coffee break. Granted, accents are not easy, and coming from someone who knows quite a few Jersey-accented folk, it was believable when it was used. But the operative word is WHEN. That is my only complaint about this movie.

The rest of it was heartfelt and pure. I would definitely see it again.